The UK’s wind industry is celebrating a decade of substantial growth, with nearly 2000 companies now in the sector’s supply chain.
The figures were highlighted by RenewableUK as the sector marks the 10th anniversary of Wind Energy Week.
Wind Energy Week, which runs from today until 29 June, is an industry initiative showcasing the sector’s achievements across the last 10 years.
Highlights include the doubling of the UK’s wind generation capacity of 13.4GW in 2015 to over 30GW in 2025.
In 2024, wind generated more electricity than gas for the first year ever, providing 30% of the country’s electricity, and this year’s Wind Energy Week arrives at a time of heightened activity across both government and industry.
The government’s new Industrial Strategy identifies clean energy as one of the sectors with the highest growth opportunity for the economy and business, and RenewableUK has today published the results of a mapping exercise of the industry’s supply chain.
Utilising RenewableUK’s EnergyPulse market dataset, the map highlights the locations of the industry’s 1996 supply chain companies, with a significant presence in over 70 parliamentary constituencies. The map categorises them according to a diverse range of activities, from environmental surveying and site design to blade and cable manufacturing.
Alongside this, the map outlines the parts of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland servicing the UK’s world-leading offshore wind sector, where seven coastal regions known as industrial ‘clusters’ have developed through a concentration of companies involved in the industry, and where there is an expectation that other firms will join them as the supply chain continues to grow.
The map also charts the growth of the wind industry’s workforce, following publication of a new report from RenewableUK and the Offshore Wind Industry Council which shows that the number of people working in the sector now stands at over 55,000.
In addition, Wind Energy Week will see a focus on how wind energy supports nature and local communities throughout the country, through a range of initiatives such as community benefit funds (CBFs).
Taking community benefits alone, RenewableUK estimates that more than £550m has been invested through CBFs since 2015, and this figure is expected to rise to £150m annually if government ambitions to 2030 are met.
Commenting on the anniversary, RenewableUK’s executive director for policy and engagement Ana Musat said: “Wind Energy Week is a great occasion to celebrate the growth, and impact of our sector, as we reflect on a number of recent publications that showcase the growth and geographical spread of the supply chain, the substantial job creation this has entailed, as well as the diverse range of support for nature and communities across the country that our sector provides.
“This week is a unique opportunity to celebrate how far we’ve come in the last 10 years, breaking barriers many said were impossible in such a short space of time.
“But there is a lot more to do, as we look to ensuring we deliver on the government’s ambitions to 2030 and welcome the arrival of its Industrial Strategy and imminent publication of its Onshore Wind Strategy and Low Carbon Flexibility Roadmap.”